Embryo 'snowflake' adoptions giving couples struggling to have children hope

Little Tripp is just two-years-old, but he was created in 2006. Embryo adoption brought him into the loving home of Phillip and Ginny Hobbs.

Author:
Kathryn Jeffries

Published:
7:30 AM EST February 28, 2017

Updated:
5:50 PM EST February 28, 2017

JACKSONVILLE, FL- Every family has its own story. Phillip and Ginny Hobbs often read a story book to their son, Tripp, it’s the story of how he came to be their son.

It all began nearly a decade ago when they read a book about adoptions.

"He [the author] had just one paragraph where he references 'snowflake adoptions' because they are frozen- they are called 'snowflakes' or embryo adoption," tells Ginny Hobbs.

In an embryo adoption, families that have undergone in vitro fertilization can donate any leftover embryos to be used by another family instead of keeping the embryo frozen indefinitely or having the embryos destroyed. The embryo that was Tripp was created in 2006, but was frozen for eight years until adopted by the Hobbs family and implanted into Ginny.

"We tease that he is actually the oldest cousin. His oldest cousin in nine, but we say 'Tripp is older than you!' tells Ginny with a laugh.

After years of struggling with infertility, Ginny and Phillip decided to move forward with a snowflake adoption. Their first try resulted in a miscarriage, but they tried again and found out Ginny was pregnant with a baby boy!

"It was so sweet to be rejoicing with a pregnancy after so long of trying," says Ginny.

She carried and gave birth to a healthy baby boy, now two-years-old, and Tripp has a new title: Big Brother!

Little Evalynn, created and frozen six years ago, was adopted as an embryo by the Hobbs family. Ginny just gave birth to her three weeks ago!

"To watch him [Tripp] grow these past two years and her [Evalynn] these past three weeks has been a joy and it is indescribable truly. We can’t imagine otherwise," says Ginny holding her baby girl.

It is a process and story that is amazing even to Hobbs.

"He’s ours and there are 600,000 embryos and it is just amazing that he is ours. So that is the story we are blown away by," tells Phillip Hobbs.

Because in the years they struggled to start a family, the Hobbs say Tripp and Evalynn were frozen… just waiting to adopted.

"I’m baffled by God’s perfect timing in our lives, the fact that we wanted so long to grow our family, there was a lot of struggle there. There was a lot of pain there and all the while he was just frozen and he needed a home," tells Ginny with tears in her eyes.

Bound together by love, embryo adoption has given Phillip and Ginny the family they have longed for.